spenner



July 26, 1955 J. F. SPENNER 2,713,954

. FOOT CONTROLLED WATER TAP Filed Feb. 8, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet l Joseph Spanner JNVENTOR.

Attorneys July 26, 1955 J. F. SPENNER FOOT CONTROLLED WATER TAP 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 8, 1951 0m A Z m 3 cm r p h k //W Z w m Jo M w 4 u 2 0 m M w w u 6 W HI HN I IMN a 5 2 M 0 m m 6 0 a 4 R, w 7

y Q o ILIQ \x (L v 4 6 July 26, 1955 J. F. SPENNER FOOT CONTROLLED WATER TAP 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 8, 1951 Fig.

Joseph. F. Spanner INVENTOR.

FOOT CONTROLLED WATER TAP Joseph F. Spanner, Stayton, Oreg. Application February a, 1951, Serial No. 209,989

1 Claim. (Cl. 222-179) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in liquid controllers and the primary object of the present invention is to provide a foot controlled water tap and soap dispenser whereby .water and soap may be discharged into a users hands as the operators for the liquid outlet and soap dispenser are actuated by a users foot.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a foot controlled water tap including a plurality of independently actuatable valve operators that control the flow of hot and cold Water into a basin, the flow of water from a basin and the discharge of a detergent from a dispenser above the basin.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a foot controlled water tap of the aforementioned character wherein the valve operators are concealed in the hollow stand for the basin.

A still further aim of the present invention is to provide a liquid controller and detergent dispenser that is simple and practical in construction, strong and reliable in use, neat and attractive in appearance, eflicient and reliable in use, inexpensive to install and service, and otherwise well adaptedfor the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter de scribed and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts'throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a front elevational View of the present invention; i v

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical-sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 2-2 of Figure 1; a

Figure 3 is a plan view of the plunger casing used; in the present invention; f

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 4-4 of Figure 3 Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the dispenser used in the present invention;

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail vertical sectional view of the outlet for the basin and showing the valve means for the outlet;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the valve means for the soap dispenser;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the present invention in modified form;

Figure 9 is a plan view of the plunger casing in modified form;

Figure 10 is a vertical sectional view, similar to Figure 4, but showing the plunger casing in further modified form;

Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 8 but showing the valve operators in modified form;

Figure 12 is a view similar to Figure 5 but showing the soap dispenser in modified form; and,

Figure 13 is a fragmentary elevational view of the inlet used in the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and more parnited States Patent 0 ticularly to Figures l-7 inclusive and 13, wherein for the purpose of illustration, there is disclosed one embodiment of the present invention, the numeral 10 represents a basin having inner and outer laterally spaced walls 12 and 14 whose upper portions are joined by an endless wall 16 that is integrally formed with the walls 12 an The basin 10 is supported by a hollow stand 18 whose base 20 is mounted on a floor 22. An inlet pipe or conduit 24 extends upwardly between the walls 12 and 14 and through the wall 18 and its upper end supports a spigot or faucet 26 that overlies the basin 10. The lower end of the conduit 24 is joined by a T-fitting 28 to the laterally projecting upper ends of branch pipes or conduits 30 and 32 that are connected to sources of hot and cold water, respectively.

The bottoms of the walls 12 and 14 are formed with registering openings 34 Whose edges are integrally formed with a drain sleeve 36. The upper end 38 of a gooseneck or outlet conduit 40 is coupled to a casing member 42 by a collar 44 that is threaded about the lower end of the member 42 and which includes an inturned flange 46 that engages under an external flange 48 on the end 38.

The casing member 42 projects upwardly through the sleeve 36 and its upper flanged portion 50 rests in a recess 52 in the upper face of wall 12. The collar 44 is tightened against a gasket 54 surrounding the member 42 to clamp the conduit 40 to the basin.

An overflow opening 56 is provided in the wall 12 below the wall 16 and an overflow conduit 58 is fixed between the walls 12 and 14 with its upper end surrounding the opening 56 and with its lower end positioned in an opening 60 in the member 42 as shown in Figure 6.

A soap dispenser 62 is mounted on the building Wall 64 and includes a bracket or holder 66 that removably supports a container 68 having a closure cap 70 and a bottom wall 72. The bottom wall 72 is formed with an opening 74 and a delivery nozzle or spout 76 depends from the wall 72 about the opening 74. r

An elongated supporting plate 78 is pivoted at one end to the holder 66 for vertical swinging movement and this plate is slidably received in a transverse slot 80 in the nozzle 76. The plate 78 is formed with an opening 82, concentric with the nozzle 76, adjacent which there is mounted a pair of bearings 84 that rotatably support the horizontal portion 86 of a T-shaped valve: stem 88. A valve head 90 is secured to the stem 88 for movement downwardly into the opening 74 in response to the function of a coil spring 92 that embraces the stem 88 and which is biased between the plate 7 8 .and the bottom wall 72. r Y

The conduits 30 and 32 are provided with conventionaL valves 94 and96 having operating levers 98 and 100 that,

are moved downwardly toward the wall 64 to open the valves whereby not and cold water will enter the basin 10 through pipe 24 and faucet 26.

An internally threaded vertical recess 102 in the gooseneck 40 receivably engages a sealing plug 104 in which there is mounted a vertical tube 106. A flexible rod or wire 108 is slidably received in the tube 106 and is fixed to a valve 110 including a head 112 that will close the opening in member 42.

Means is provided for operating the valves 90, 94, 96 and 110 individually and this means consists of a plunger casing or box 114 that is mounted on the floor 22 and against the base 20. Four horizontal tubes 116 are fixed within the casing 114 and each tube 116 slidably supports the enlarged end of a plunger 118 and each tube received a coil spring 120. The springs 120 urge the plungers from the casing to be engaged by a users foot.

Flexible hollow cables 122, 124, 126 and 128 enter the tubes and the cables house the rods or wires130, 108,

132 and 134 that are connected to the valves 96, 110, 90 and 94, respectively. The cables extend through the hollow stand 18 to where the cables 122 and 128 are attached to the conduits 30 and 32 by clamps 136; the cable 124 is attached to the gooseneck 40; and the cable 12'6is attached to the holder 66 by suitable means. The upper end of the wire 132 is secured to the free end of the plate 78 as shown in Figure 5.

In practical use of the present invention, the valve 112 gravitates to its closed position and the plungers 118 for the valves 94 and 96 are pressed by the users foot to obtain the desired temperature of water in the basin. The plunger for the valve 90 is pressed by the users foot to discharge a detergent, liquid or flakes, from the container 68. v

When the plunger for the valve 110 is pressed by the users foot, the water in the basin will pass into the gooseneck and to a discharge point.

Suitable indicia is applied to the upper wall of the casing 114 so that a user may observe the desired plungers that are to be actuated, such as shown in Figure 3, Wherein the hot water valve plunger is indicated by H; the cold water valve plunger by C; and, the drain valve plunger by ssT' Figure 12 illustrates the soap dispenser in modified form wherein the cylindrical holder 66a includes a dispensing opening 76:: in its lower wall. The open externally threaded bottom of the container 68a is threaded in the holder and the container includes a closure cap 70a Whereby additional detergent may be placed in the container.

A vertically swinging valve 90a is mounted in the holder 66a below a sloping wall 91 in the holder. The discharge passage 93 between the wall 91 and the cylindrical wall of the holder is normally closed by the valve 90a.

The operating Wire 132a is attached to the valve 90a and extends through a flexible hollow cable 126a. The wire 132a is attached to a plunger similar to that previously described so that the valve 90a may be opened to permit the soap flakes in the container 68a to pass through the passage 93 and opening 76a.

Figure illustrates the plunger casing in modified form. In this embodiment, the plunger casing 114 is formed with a sloping Wall 115 that slidably supports the plungers 118a. A group of curved tubes 116a are fixed in the casing 114a and slidably support the enlarged ends 117 of the plungers 118a.

Coil springs 120a are mounted in the tubes 116a and urge the ends 117 against the wall 115. The lower ends of the flexible cables C enter the tubes and the cables slidably support flexible rods R that are connected to the Rods 210 connect two of the bell cranks to the operating arms 212 'of the valves 214 for the hot and cold Water pipes and a flexible connector is provided between the remaining third plunger and the valve for the drain. Springs 216 join the rods 210 to their bell cranks to normally urge the plungers for the valves 214 upwardly and the valves 214 open.

Figure 11 shows the valve operators for the hot and cold water valves 218 in modified form. In this embodiment, the hollow base 220 of the basin stand 222 housed brackets 224 that pivotally support vertically swingable foot pedals 226 that are connected to the valve arms 228 by pitmans 230.

Springs 232 connect the rods 230 to the brackets 224 to retain the valve 218 open and the pedals 226 raised.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A soap holding and dispensing device comprising a wall mounted bracket, a container supported by the bracket and having a bottom wall with an opening therein, a delivery nozzle about said opening and depending from said bottom wall and having a vertical slot therein, a vertically swingable plate pivoted to the bracket and slidably received in the slot, said plate having an opening disposed within the nozzle to permit a detergent in the container to pass through the nozzle, a valve having a stern pivotally attached to the plate and a head seatable in the opening in said bottom wall, a spring in the nozzle about the stem and biased between said bottom wall and said plate to urge the plate downwardly relative to said bottom wall and the valve downwardly into the opening in said bottom wall, a casing under the container, a foot actuatable spring urged plunger slidably carried by said casing, and a Bowden wire connecting the plunger to the plate to actuate the plate as the plunger is moved in one direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 160,936 Meyer Mar. 16, 1875 346,033 Fitz-Gerald July 20, 1886 624,176 Chisholm May 2, 1899 753,339 Widdop Mar. 1, 1904 924,046 Ellmann June 8, 1909 995,671 Hamlin June 20, 1911 1,020,324 Stephenson Mar. 12, 1912 1,212,085 Metcalf Jan. 9, 1917 1,266,195 Beckmann May 14, 1918 1,408,830 Rowe Mar. 7, 1922 1,780,968 Brophy Nov. 11, 1930 1,984,950 Steen Dec. 18, 1934 2,116,133 Allen May 3, 1938 2,230,404 Healey Feb. 4, 1941 2,270,239 Cushman Jan. 20, 1942 2,607,514 Keene, Jr. Aug. 19, 1952 

